short barrel varmint build

[wyoming .260]

I have a 21.5" barreled .243 win. that shoots 55gr bullets well with IMR8208, I was a take off barrel that was cheap. I just wanted it for a beat around rifle. Shoots better then I thought and the load with 55s does 3750fps. More then adequate for most any varmints.

 

[Jlk]

A Nosier 70gr B-Tip at around 3000fps in a short barrel rig is a good combo if most of your shots are under 300yds. It does a good job on coyotes.

 

[RJinTexas]

Say Dan I think you need to build a 6x45 / 6-223 with a minimum spec no turn neck, a 1.5 deg leade angle and zero freebore. That should put a 58g VMAX or a 55g NBT rear chamfer just ahead of the case/neck junction. You told me you rarely have the oppertunity to shoot out past 300 yds where you hunt. If you think that you'd want to shoot heavier bullets say in the 65gr to 80gr range ya need to talk with David at PT&G and have him advise you what free bore to use. This would be a easy to load cartridge, just expand the neck, run through a full length sizing die, trim, load and shoot. Fire form load shoot .5 moa what could be easier. You can sale me the reamer when your smith is done with it. If you decide you don't like it you can even sale me the barrel along with the recoil lug. I've been wanting to put together a light walking varminter. It should make a excellent yote calling rifle. If you'd like I could load you up some dummy rounds with various weight bullets seated and mail them to ya to help ya decide. After ya get it built ya need to come down to Texas for a hunting trip, we'll go down to my lease for several days and try to call in some critters. Give me a call if I can be of assistance.

Kindest regards
RJ

 

[Lazydays]

A Nosier 70gr B-Tip at around 3000fps in a short barrel rig is a good combo if most of your shots are under 300yds. It does a good job on coyotes.

I use a lot of the Sierra 80 grain Blitz bullets on Coyotes. But shot them out of a 6mm Remington. This bullet ought to do well in a 6x45 or a 6XC, and is real hard on coyotes.
gary

 

[stacy]

1 shoot a 22BR w/18.5inch barrel 52gr bergers at 32/3300fps w/ varget powder this thing is spooky accurate but again its what you want GOOD LUCK

 

[mnshortdraw]

Researching barrel length vs velocity for the 6BR, I read several people that cut an inch at a time off their barrel and measured results. Looks like it's about 8fps lost per inch of barrel removed with a pretty linear drop. A 6br would perform for sure but can take some work to feed from a BDL or mag setup. Have you thought about trying a small caliber, a 17 or 20? They are really fun and accurate and can be deadly on coyotes and explosive on small varmints. Can be loaded for splatter factor or fur friendly. Just a thought.

 

[snert]

I am with 40X Guy. A 243 in a fast twist can run up to 107's, and is nice for the 87's. That is serious coyote medicine. It can also be loaded with light bullets fast or (god forbid we slow it down) you could run reduced loads and light pills for small critters in places where big boom is not good. Now that I know what you are hunting, I would suggest a 6MM of some type, with a med/fast twist. If you prefer to be "cool" make it an AI.

But the coyote will never know the difference.

Sounds like a fun projuct.

Snert

 

[NO-GO]

6br,12 twist, 70 gr match,20"my pup popper will be done soon.

 

[armistemjim]

i shoot a 250-3000AI and with a 19 inch barrel have used it for years and at 500 i don't usually miss. it is an old caliber that was used in BR when i started and i have always kept one for bucking wind and varm. shooting.

 

[Lazydays]

I was going to say a 223, but the 6mm 223 ( 6x45 6x47 or 6TCU all about the same) would be the way to go. Like others said 10tw. Any bigger case, it is just going to give you more blast.

Mark Schronce

actually the 6x47 would be the way to go. Dies are more common and you have a better case design from the start. The longer neck will help guide the bullets much better than the shorter .223 neck length. There'll be little difference in velocity between the 6x45 and 6x47, but still a small amount. Been toying around with a 6x47AI for awhile now, and it just looks like a win, win idea.
gary

 

[littlebuddybr]

The 222mag kills coyotes as quick as anything else. Heavy 6mm's are a bit much for yote's unless you
need em for long distance. I have had a few and a couple with short bbl's. You will be surprised how accurate they are and how easy they are to get so shoot really well. I had a 6x47 (222mag opened to
6mm) built for a light short bbl walking gun and used it on white tails and yote's like it alot.
Keep in mind you don't need alot of bullet or fps for yotes. Either one you will be happy with but
I would do a 222mag there just fun to shoot!! good luck

 

[mshelton]

Probably a dead thread but you might want to look at a 6ppc, some may scoff but it excels with short fat barrels. Go to a match and it's rare to see one over 21", a 17-18 one wouldn't be giving up a fart in a windstorms worth of velocity.

You may be concerned about brass but if you do live near a range that has bench matches or know a bench shooter, then you might be able to get some of their old brass cheap, anneal and go on about your business. A lot of ppc shooters will toss a barrel after 600-800 rounds, ok so it may not have .1xx agg potential any more but it'll still shoot 1/4" which is fine for a light varminter, so you could potentially have a source of cheap barrels in the future for replacements.

Finally the little bastards shoot and have good velocity, last time I chronoed my bench gun I was getting 3350 with 67g bullets and I know people run them hotter. That's fine for anything within 400 yards and can be stretched out on a calm day. You also get a really good bullet selection in that range, every major mfgr out there has at least one varmint bullet in the 58-70 range.

BRs, 222s, 243s etc are fine cartridges but I some of that powder capacity is going to be wasted on a short barrel which is where the ppc likes to be.

 

[joemax]

I second Alf's suggestion of 22-.204. I own 223ai and love it but it gives up a little velocity 22-204 and you have the pia of forming the the brass with ai. Just neck up with an expander and bam. My roommate is getting 3550 fps over my oehler 35p with 53 v-max bullets and consistent .5moa groups. That is w/ a 26 inch barrel however. When my 223ai goes south I will be changing to 22-204. Some already mentioned great cartridges that are efficient in short barrels are 20 vartarg and turbo, 22 and 6mm ppc, 6br, 221 Fireball, 17 fireball to name just a few. Another cartridge I would look very closely at is the underrated 221 fireball. Last spring a friend brought his out to the sage rate fields. I was very impressed with the diminutive little cartridge's ability to helicopter those ground squirrels at 150 yards using 40v-max bullets. Another plus with that cartridge is long barrel life even in high volume shooting situations. My friends PAC-NOR barrel has an estimated 8000 rounds down range and still shoots .75 MOA groups. His last 221 went an estimated 10000 rounds before it "all of sudden" quit shooting. I could detect no rifling as I peered down the barrel with jewelers glasses.

 

[littlebuddybr]

22-204... Isn't that a 222mag necked down to 20cal?

 

[GrocMax]

204 Ruger necked up to 22. Probably not much different from a 222 Mag.

 

[mshelton]

Thought the 204 Ruger was a 222 mag necked down.

 

[joemax]

The shoulder is blown forward in the 204 giving it a shorter neck than 222mag. Shoulder angle is also increased from 23* in the mag to 30* in 204 giving the 22-204 approximately room for 2 more grains of powder.

 

[boltman223]

I have to throw in another one for the 221 fireball. I love mine, it is a rem 700 LVSF it has a 22 inch barrel a muzzle diameter of .650 and a composite stock. it is a nice light carry rifle and I have no problems with coyotes out to 300 yards. Groups in the .5-.7 range to boot.

I think the groups could be a little more consistant and maybe tightened up a little bit too with a bedding job and more load development.

 

[alf]

[quote author= link=topic=3803978.msg36174870#msg36174870 date=1360378695]
204 Ruger necked up to 22. Probably not much different from a 222 Mag.
[/quote]

I've posted this pic so much, I'm surprised it's not wore out....



Some cases for comparison.....

221 Fireball --- 222 Rem --- 223 REM --- 223 Ackley --- 222 Rem mag --- 22-204

The 22-204 has about one more grain capacity than a 223 Ackley and almost two more than a 222 RM, and NO FIREFORMING required.

An all around better mouse trap......